Meet vs. Met — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 21, 2023
"Meet" is the base form of the verb that refers to encountering or coming into contact with someone. "Met" is the past tense and past participle form of "meet," indicating that the action has already occurred.
Difference Between Meet and Met
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Key Differences
"Meet" is the base or infinitive form of the verb that describes the action of encountering someone or something. It is used when discussing future or present encounters. For example, you might say, "I will meet you at 5 PM," indicating a future encounter, or "I meet him regularly," indicating a habitual action.
On the other hand, "met" serves as both the past tense and the past participle form of "meet." It is used when the action of meeting has already taken place. For instance, you would say, "I met her last week," to indicate that you have already encountered her. In sentences like "I have met him before," "met" acts as a past participle.
Grammatically, "meet" is used with various tenses that involve present or future actions. For example, in the sentence, "They meet every Friday," "meet" is in the simple present tense. In contrast, "met" is used for actions that have been completed, and it is the word you'll find in perfect tenses, like "have met" or "had met," as well as the simple past tense.
Both "meet" and "met" can appear in different sentence structures and voices. You can say, "They meet regularly for coffee," employing the active voice with "meet," or "He was met with applause," utilizing the passive voice with "met." These variations in usage underscore their roles in different tenses and voices, even though both words pertain to the action of encountering.
Comparison Chart
Tense
Base/Infinitive
Past tense & Past Participle
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Timeframe
Present/Future
Past
Example in Active Voice
I meet him
I met him
Example in Passive Voice
He will be met
He was met
Verb Form
Regular verb form
Irregular verb form
Compare with Definitions
Meet
To come into the presence of someone.
I will meet you tomorrow.
Met
Faced a situation in the past.
He met adversity bravely.
Meet
To come into the presence of by chance or arrangement
I was surprised to meet an old friend in the park. I met a friend for coffee.
Met
Past tense of encountering someone.
I met her at the party.
Meet
To come into the company of
I met my colleagues for a meeting.
Met
Previously introduced to someone.
I've met him before.
Meet
To be introduced to; make the acquaintance of
Have you met my wife?.
Met
Assembled in the past for a purpose.
We met last week for a project meeting.
Meet
To come together or confront in opposition
The rival teams meet next week.
Met
Satisfied a past criterion or standard.
The proposal met the requirements.
Meet
To be present at the arrival of
Met the train.
Met
Past tense and past participle of meet1.
Meet
To come into conjunction with; join or touch
Where the road meets the highway.
Met
To dream; to occur (to one) in a dream.
Meet
To come into conformity with the views, wishes, or opinions of
The firm has done its best to meet us on that point.
Meet
To come to the notice of (the senses)
There is more here than meets the eye.
Meet
To experience or undergo
He met his fate with courage. The project has met a setback.
Meet
To be sufficient for (a need, for example); fulfill
Meet all the conditions in the contract.
Meet
To deal or contend with effectively
We can meet each problem as it arises.
Meet
To pay; settle
Enough money to meet expenses.
Meet
To come together
Didn't recognize him when we met. Where should we meet for lunch?.
Meet
To come into conjunction; be joined
The two pipes meet in the corner.
Meet
To come together as opponents; contend
The team met with its rival.
Meet
To become introduced
Where did the two of you meet?.
Meet
To assemble
Protesters met in the square.
Meet
To occur together, especially in one person or entity
Suspense and intrigue meet in this new movie.
Meet
A meeting or contest, especially an athletic competition.
Meet
Fitting; proper
"It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place" (Shakespeare).
Meet
To make contact (with) while in proximity.
Meet
To come face to face with by accident; to encounter.
Fancy meeting you here! Guess who I met at the supermarket today?
Meet
To come face to face with someone by arrangement.
Let's meet at the station at 9 o'clock.
Meet
To get acquainted with someone.
I'm pleased to meet you! I'd like you to meet a colleague of mine.
I met my husband through a mutual friend at a party. It wasn't love at first sight; in fact, we couldn't stand each other at first!
Meet
(Of groups) To come together.
Meet
To gather for a formal or social discussion; to hold a meeting.
I met with them several times. The government ministers met today to start the negotiations.
Meet
To come together in conflict.
Meet
(sports) To play a match.
England and Holland will meet in the final.
Meet
To make physical or perceptual contact.
Meet
To converge and finally touch or intersect.
The two streets meet at a crossroad half a mile away.
Meet
To touch or hit something while moving.
The right wing of the car met the column in the garage, leaving a dent.
Meet
To adjoin, be physically touching.
The carpet meets the wall at this side of the room. The forest meets the sea along this part of the coast.
Meet
(transitive) To respond to (an argument etc.) with something equally convincing; to refute.
He met every objection to the trip with another reason I should go.
Meet
To satisfy; to comply with.
This proposal meets my requirements. The company agrees to meet the cost of any repairs.
Meet
(intransitive) To balance or come out correct.
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer.
The eye met a horrid sight. He met his fate.
Meet
To be mixed with, to be combined with aspects of.
Meet
(sports) A sports competition, especially for track and field or swimming.
Track meet
Swim meet
Meet
(hunting) A gathering of riders, horses and hounds for foxhunting; a field meet for hunting.
Meet
(rail transport) A meeting of two trains in opposite directions on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other cross.
Meet
(informal) A meeting.
OK, let's arrange a meet with Tyler and ask him.
Meet
(algebra) The greatest lower bound, an operation between pairs of elements in a lattice, denoted by the symbol ∧.
Meet
(archaic) Suitable; right; proper.
Meet
To join, or come in contact with; esp., to come in contact with by approach from an opposite direction; to come upon or against, front to front, as distinguished from contact by following and overtaking.
Meet
To come in collision with; to confront in conflict; to encounter hostilely; as, they met the enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and currents.
Meet
To come into the presence of without contact; to come close to; to intercept; to come within the perception, influence, or recognition of; as, to meet a train at a junction; to meet carriages or persons in the street; to meet friends at a party; sweet sounds met the ear.
His daughter came out to meet him.
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer; as, the eye met a horrid sight; he met his fate.
Of vice or virtue, whether blest or curst,Which meets contempt, or which compassion first.
Meet
To come up to; to be even with; to equal; to match; to satisfy; to ansver; as, to meet one's expectations; the supply meets the demand.
Meet
To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.
O, when meet nowSuch pairs in love and mutual honor joined !
Meet
To come together with hostile purpose; to have an encounter or conflict.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,May serve to better us and worse our foes.
Meet
To assemble together; to congregate; as, Congress meets on the first Monday of December.
They . . . appointed a day to meet together.
Meet
To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite.
We met with many things worthy of observation.
Prepare to meet with more than brutal furyFrom the fierce prince.
Meet
An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.
Meet
Suitable; fit; proper; appropriate; qualified; convenient.
It was meet that we should make merry.
Meet
Meetly.
Meet
A meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held
Meet
Come together;
I'll probably see you at the meeting
How nice to see you again!
Meet
Get together socially or for a specific purpose
Meet
Be adjacent or come together;
The lines converge at this point
Meet
Fill or meet a want or need
Meet
Satisfy a condition or restriction;
Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?
Meet
Satisfy or fulfill;
Meet a need
This job doesn't match my dreams
Meet
Get to know; get acquainted with;
I met this really handsome guy at a bar last night!
We met in Singapore
Meet
Collect in one place;
We assembled in the church basement
Let's gather in the dining room
Meet
Meet by design; be present at the arrival of;
Can you meet me at the train station?
Meet
Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
Princeton plays Yale this weekend
Charlie likes to play Mary
Meet
Experience as a reaction;
My proposal met with much opposition
Meet
Undergo or suffer;
Meet a violent death
Suffer a terrible fate
Meet
Be in direct physical contact with; make contact;
The two buildings touch
Their hands touched
The wire must not contact the metal cover
The surfaces contact at this point
Meet
Being precisely fitting and right;
It is only meet that she should be seated first
Meet
To be introduced to someone for the first time.
I'd like to meet your parents.
Meet
To encounter or confront a situation.
He will meet challenges head-on.
Meet
To assemble for a specific purpose.
We meet every weekend for a study session.
Meet
To satisfy a criterion or standard.
This product meets all safety guidelines.
Common Curiosities
What does "meet" mean?
"Meet" means to encounter or come into contact with someone or something.
What does "met" mean?
"Met" is the past tense and past participle form of "meet," indicating a past encounter.
Are "meet" and "met" forms of the same verb?
Yes, "met" is a form of the verb "meet."
Can "met" be used in the perfect tense?
Yes, e.g., "I have met him before."
Can "meet" be used to discuss future events?
Yes, "meet" can be used to discuss future or present events.
When is "met" appropriate to use?
Use "met" when discussing past encounters.
Does "met" always indicate a physical meeting?
No, it can also indicate meeting a standard or expectation.
Is "met" the only past form of "meet"?
Yes, "met" serves as both the past tense and past participle.
What is the past participle of "meet"?
The past participle of "meet" is "met."
Can "meet" be used in the passive voice?
Yes, e.g., "The president will be met by the governor."
What tense is "will meet"?
"Will meet" is in the future tense.
Is "meet" a regular verb?
No, "meet" is an irregular verb.
Does "meet" only relate to people?
No, "meet" can also refer to meeting conditions, challenges, or situations.
Can "meet" and "met" be used interchangeably?
No, they cannot be used interchangeably due to tense differences.
Can "meet" and "met" be used as nouns?
No, they are primarily used as verbs.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
